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Chestnut Woodpecker

Celeus elegans

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernInvertebratesForestCavity nestMedium · 135 g
Chestnut Woodpecker (Celeus elegans), photo 1
Photo: Ben Costamagna · CC BY 4.0
Chestnut Woodpecker (Celeus elegans), photo 2
Photo: Ben Costamagna · CC BY 4.0
Chestnut Woodpecker (Celeus elegans), photo 3
Photo: Edoardo Nardelli · CC BY 4.0
Chestnut Woodpecker (Celeus elegans), photo 4
Photo: formicacid · CC0
Chestnut Woodpecker (Celeus elegans), photo 5
Photo: formicacid · CC0
Chestnut Woodpecker (Celeus elegans), photo 6
Photo: Wouter Koch · CC0
Chestnut Woodpecker (Celeus elegans), photo 7
Photo: desertnaturalist · CC BY 4.0
Chestnut Woodpecker (Celeus elegans), photo 8
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jquental/ · CC BY 2.0
Chestnut Woodpecker (Celeus elegans), photo 9
Photo: Ben Costamagna · CC BY 4.0
Chestnut Woodpecker (Celeus elegans), photo 10
Photo: Ben Costamagna · CC BY 4.0

ID tip

The chestnut woodpecker is about 26 to 32 cm (10 to 13 in) long. Subspecies C. e. hellmayri weighs 138 to 168 g (4.9 to 5.9 oz), C. e. leotaudi weighs 93 to 139 g (3.3 to 4.9 oz), and C. e. jumanus weighs 112 to 146 g (4.0 to 5.1 oz). Males of all subspecies have a wide bright red malar area and cheek; females have no red. In the nominate subspecies C. e. elegans adults of both sexes have a buffish cream forehead, crown, and crest. The rest of their head including the chin and throat are deep chestnut brown.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Chestnut Woodpecker

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is February, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Chestnut Woodpecker

Regular range

The map shades 10 countries with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Ecuador Colombia Peru Brazil Trinidad & Tobago Guyana Suriname French Guiana Venezuela Bolivia

About the Chestnut Woodpecker

The chestnut woodpecker a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found on Trinidad and in every mainland South American country except Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Variable Woodpecker (Celeus undatus) Variable WoodpeckerCeleus undatusThe waved woodpecker is about 23 to 26 cm (9.1 to 10.2 in) long and weighs 61 to 87 g (2.2 to 3.1 oz). Pale-crested Woodpecker (Celeus lugubris) Pale-crested WoodpeckerCeleus lugubrisThe pale-crested woodpecker is about 23 to 24 cm (9.1 to 9.4 in) long. Cream-colored Woodpecker (Celeus flavus) Cream-colored WoodpeckerCeleus flavusThe cream-colored woodpecker is about 24 to 27 cm (9.4 to 11 in) long.

Side by side: Chestnut-colored Woodpecker vs Chestnut Woodpecker · Chestnut Woodpecker vs Cream-colored Woodpecker · Chestnut Woodpecker vs Cuban Green Woodpecker · Chestnut Woodpecker vs Variable Woodpecker · Chestnut Woodpecker vs Pale-crested Woodpecker

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